You can manage some user attributes by creating groups. A group is a set of users that you manage through a common set of permissions.

A user can be a member of more than one group. When you assign permissions to a group, all users in the group inherit those permissions. Using groups can reduce the time it takes to set up your permissions model.

The group lists in vCenter Server and an ESX/ESXi host come from the same sources as the user lists. If you are working through vCenter Server, the group list is called from the Windows domain. If you are logged on to an ESX/ESXi host directly, the group list is called from a table maintained by the host.

Create groups for the vCenter Server system through the Windows domain or Active Directory database. Create groups for ESX/ESXi hosts using the Users and Groups tab in the vSphere Client when connected directly to the host.

Note

If you use Active Directory groups, make sure that they are security groups and not distribution groups. Permissions assigned to distribution groups are not enforced by vCenter Server. For more information about security groups and distribution groups, see the Microsoft Active Directory documentation.